How to increase profits from a photovoltaic farm?
- store6571
- Mar 19
- 4 min read
Photovoltaic farms are becoming an increasingly popular solution for producing renewable energy. However, depending on the price of energy and available resources, farm owners often have to decide whether it is better to sell the energy produced to the grid or use it to mine cryptocurrencies. In this article, we will analyze which of these solutions can bring greater profits.
1. Selling energy to the grid – how does it work?
In Poland, when photovoltaic farms produce more energy than they can use for their own needs, the surplus can be sold to the grid. The prices at which energy is bought by operators vary depending on many factors, such as energy demand and the current market situation.
The average selling price of energy in Poland is around PLN 539 per 1 MWh. However, during periods of oversupply, especially in summer, prices can drop below PLN 200 per 1 MWh. This means that at low selling prices, profits from a PV farm can be much lower, and for many owners it may be unprofitable.
2. Cryptocurrency mining as an alternative to selling energy
Instead of selling energy, solar farms can use it to mine cryptocurrencies. Miners like Antminer use electricity to perform the mathematical calculations required to approve transactions on the blockchain. In return, miners are paid in cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrency mining is becoming increasingly profitable, especially when energy is provided in a cheaper way, e.g. from photovoltaic farms. By using energy produced by your own PV farm, the costs of electricity for miners become minimal, which significantly increases the profits from cryptocurrency mining.
3. Comparison of the profitability of selling energy to the grid and mining
It is worth analyzing how much you can earn per 1 MWh of energy in both cases:
- Sales of energy to the grid:
If energy prices are at PLN 539/MWh, the farm owner receives PLN 539 for each megawatt-hour that he or she feeds into the grid. In periods of oversupply, this price can even drop below PLN 200/MWh, which reduces profitability.
-Cryptocurrency mining:
If the farm uses its energy to mine cryptocurrencies, e.g. with 8 Antminers (which consume 26 kW) or 16 Antminers (consuming 52 kW), with an energy consumption of 1 MWh, you can generate about PLN 1,038.46. In the case of 8 miners, the operating time per 1 MWh is 38 hours, and with 16 miners - about 19 hours. The result from mining, regardless of the number of devices, remains similar, amounting to about PLN 1,038.46 from 1 MWh of energy.
4. When is mining more profitable?
Cryptocurrency mining is particularly profitable when energy sales prices are low. If the energy price is below PLN 500/MWh, mining can bring much higher profits than selling energy to the grid. Even when the energy sales price is PLN 200/MWh, cryptocurrency mining can bring more than 5 times higher profits .
Mining also becomes more attractive when solar farms have surplus energy that can be used to mine cryptocurrencies instead of selling them at low prices.
5. When is selling energy a better solution?
Although mining offers higher profits at lower energy prices, when energy prices are high (e.g. above PLN 1,000/MWh), selling energy to the grid becomes more profitable. In addition, mining is associated with additional costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment, which can reduce the profitability of the investment. It is also worth remembering that mining requires appropriate infrastructure, such as cooling, which can generate additional costs.
6. Hybrid solution – combining energy sales with mining
It is also worth paying attention to the solution that combines both approaches - energy sales and cryptocurrency mining. Our proprietary software allows for automatic switching between TGE (i.e. selling energy to the network) and cryptocurrency mining. Thanks to an intelligent algorithm that monitors the current energy price and conditions on the cryptocurrency market, the system decides which option will bring greater profits at a given moment.
This type of hybrid provides flexibility and maximizes the profitability of the photovoltaic farm. If the energy price is too low, the system automatically starts mining, while when the energy sales prices are high, the energy is transferred to the grid. Such a system increases the efficiency of using the energy produced and allows for dynamic adjustment to changing market conditions.
7. Energy storage – the sense in the context of mining and selling energy
Energy storage is becoming an essential element of photovoltaic farms, especially in the context of combining energy sales with mining. Energy storage makes it possible to store surplus energy produced during the day, when energy production is high and sales prices are low. In such a case, the excess energy can be stored for use later – for example, during hours when energy prices are rising, or when cryptocurrency mining becomes more profitable.
Energy storage is particularly useful when a photovoltaic farm does not have the ability to use all of the energy produced on an ongoing basis. Energy storage can optimize both sales and mining, as it ensures the continuity of electricity production regardless of the time of day or weather conditions. This solution allows for the full use of the farm's potential, increasing its profitability in the long term.
8. Summary
In summary, photovoltaics and cryptocurrency mining can create an extremely profitable combination, especially during periods of low energy prices. PV farm owners can significantly increase their profits by allocating surplus energy to cryptocurrency mining instead of selling it at unfavorable rates.
Additionally, energy storage allows for even more effective management of the energy produced, enabling its use at the most optimal moment – both for mining and sales. Our proprietary software ensures full automation of this process, intelligently switching the PV farm between selling energy to the grid (TGE) and mining, depending on the current profitability of each option.
This solution maximizes profits and allows dynamic adjustment to market conditions, making the photovoltaic farm more profitable and flexible in the long term.
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